Desire
by Frozest
Summary: Elsa's powers were always controlled by fear, and it took Anna's true love to melt the eternal winter. But now that Anna's in denial, Elsa is falling deeply in love. Things heat up fast between the two sisters-in more way than one. Contains original songs and rated M for future chapters containing Elsanna shippery.
1. Happy New Year!

"Princess Anna, time to wake up," a butler called through her bedroom door at a time the princess and her pillow agreed was far too early o'clock.

"Queen Elsa, your lunch awaits," the same butler announced a few short moments later just down the hall. The queen made some final adjustments to today's dress before following him down the halls and spiraling staircases.

"Oh, Mr. Andersen, it smells wonderful as always. Thank you." The queen flickered a smile in his direction before Anna sauntered into the dining hall. "Good morning, Princess," she beamed.

Anna dropped herself into Elsa's chair without a second thought and shot a mumble Mr. A, "And yes, thanks Georg."

"Anna," Elsa tapped her little sister on the shoulder, "manners," she sissed.

Her sibling groggily groaned. "It's too early in the morning for those."

The queen giggled, but didn't say a word. The clock that hung on the wall behind her seat read 1:44 p.m. to Anna's dismay.

"Happy New Year," the queen smiled and took the seat Anna's time checking pulled her from.

"Oh wow," Anna laughed, excited all over again. "Happy New Year! Oh, oh, oh, and you know what means—"

Elsa squealed it with Anna, "New Year's chocolate!"

Anna stumbled back to her chambers overstuffed with joy (better known as chocolate). It was the first New Year's without parents, and _with_ each other. And for the second time in a day, Anna dropped herself into the wrong piece of furniture.

Elsa had insisted her staff never latch her door—not even after nightfall. She just…never expected Anna to stumble in and _groan_ about overeating from underneath her sheets.

"Anna."

The princess poked her head over the top of the sheets, "At your service, milady," she teased. But when Elsa stared with a puzzling look, Anna finally bothered checking her environment. Again. "OH- oh geez, I'm sorry." Anna threw herself over the edge of Elsa's bed and attempted to put the covers back as neat as Elsa always got them. "That explains the queen sized bed."

"Our beds are the same size."

The princess cleared her throat, half disappointed her attempt at humor went right over Elsa's head. The other half actually expected it. "Right, well," Anna's warm touch graced the queen's arm, "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," her elegant whisper reciprocated.

Anna threw a hand into her forehead dramatically. "Phew, I'm just boiling," she told herself before bolting down the halls just to feel the breeze of her speed pass over her. "And it's not even summer anymore."

Anna's soul lit on fire. She didn't wait for cue or rhythm, bursting and belting down every hall and staircase she couldn't stop herself from tearing down.

_It's a new day  
So many possibilities  
So many things I've yet to see  
It's a new age  
I feel I could outshine a sun  
And I think I know just the one  
It's a new year  
Happy New Year_

_These halls don't feel so empty anymore  
Not since Elsa finally opened up her door  
No more knocking, no more begging, no more is it just a wish  
I run into her room with so little gloom I could kiss her on the- **cheek**_

_The ballroom is filled every third Sunday night  
And turns the others into mundane life  
There's chocolate and dancing, with just a hint of romancing  
And always one with their hair done in fashions I find enchanting_

_I can't wait to dance twelve more nights away_

_Because it's a new day  
So many possibilities  
So many things I've yet to see  
It's a new age  
I feel I could outshine a sun  
And I think I know just the one  
It's a new year  
Happy New Year_

_When our courtyard is frozen over  
You'll find our queen and all her composure  
Gliding across the icy stone  
And holding my hand so I'm not alone_

_Life is coursing through my veins like a gushing delta  
The only explanation is I can't stop loving Els-…**what?**  
Without love, Arendelle's summer reneged to winter  
And the only cure was falling in love with my…big…_

_It's a new day  
It's a new age  
It's a new year_

"Happy New Year!" Anna giggled and lied down across the edge of the fountain, letting the cool, brisk air nibble at her cheeks. Her overexcited touch stroked the ice sculptures Elsa had preserved the fountain's water with this winter.

_Poor feet, _Anna thought to herself. _Poor, bare feet. I forgot to put boots on you._ And the sympathetic redhead repeated the same thing to nearly every appendage and piece of underdressed skin before the cold nudged her shivering body back inside. She gave a sniffle before letting out a dramatic "brr" and forcing a hot breath to run over the frostbite in her fingertips.

Her breath felt so warm and so good. The rest of her seemed to warm right up the second her fingernails faded back to pink. The whole thing felt more like a second, really.

The redhead pulled the hair out of her braids once she made it back to her dresser. Setting the ties in front of her mirror and picking up a brush, Anna was reminded again that her little piece of Elsa–her white highlight—was gone. Her hair was bleak and boring and red just as the fire that consumed her sleeve.

Wait

"Fire," the princess frantically screamed as she tore off her gown gracelessly, throwing it out her window and into the snow below. The kingdom's presentation may have just dropped a few stars, but the subtly singed hair she frowned at in the mirror was currently a bigger concern. It made her moan a bit. And then a little bit more.

"Anna," Elsa asked through the door.

The princess scrambled to clumsily wrap herself in her bedspread before Elsa opened the door. "I heard you all the way down the hall. Are you all right?"

The ginger folded in her lips innocently and nodded her head as calmly as possible.

"You're- are you… naked?"

"What? No, no, you see my sleeve caught on fire-"

"Fire?" Elsa interrupted.

"Yes, and I was trying to get it off as fast as I could. I'm all right though. Promise." The redhead smiled cutely. "Oh- and you should really do something about that dress in the courtyard."

Elsa wanted to laugh, but…her sister seemed to have trouble forming a _convincing smile_. The queen worried all the way up to Anna until she took her in a gentle hug. She noticed her singed hair and her trembling skin. Elsa knew she wouldn't do much good to keep Anna warm, but she also knew Anna wasn't shaking from the cold. "I'm here now. You'll be okay."

The redhead was comforted to tears. She cried over her sister's shoulder and sniffled softly in her ear. The floral bedspread that once covered her bare skin dropped to the floor, and Anna wrapped herself around Elsa. "I'm sorry."

The queen was honestly confused. "For what?"

"For-" Anna gasped and tore away from her, "your hair is on fire! Oh no, oh my gosh," the princess fell into a panic.

"Anna, calm down," the queen struggled with the fire in her hair. It felt like a trick candle that no amount of snow or ice could extinguish. Fear welled in her younger sister's eyes as the fire only chewed further up Elsa's long, enchanting braid.

"Put it out!" She finally screamed.

And in one more blast of Elsa's power, the fire was gone.

"Oh my gosh, Elsa, are you all right?" The princess covered Elsa's rosy cheeks with her hands as a sort of reassurance. "What happened?"

"I don't know." The queen swallowed her fear for Anna's sake and forced a more convincing smile than she had earlier. "But it must be a sign that a visit to Arendelle's finest hair dresser is overdue."

So Anna didn't force her smile anymore.


	2. I'm Fine

"Wow, Elsa, it looks great!"

"You think so?"

The strawberry blonde with a subtle trim stared in awe at Elsa's new and improved hairstyle. The queen's platinum blonde braid was done away with due to it being almost completely singed. All that was left now was the top of Elsa's hair, all scraggly and sexy, and the remains of her braid spiked in the back to give her hair the true illusion of icicles. "Yes! It's so," Anna struggled to find the right word, "enchanting."

Elsa smiled as a subtle shade of pink spread across her cheeks. "Why, thank you." She tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. "Yours is beautiful, too."

Anna's smile crossfaded into an unconvinced smirk. "You can't even notice a difference."

"It's still beautiful," the queen refuted.

The redhead's head turned apple red, and she fell onto a bench outside the hairdresser's in a flash. A hot flash.

"Anna," the queen gasped.

The princess pressed a hand to her forehead. "Whoa."

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," Anna confirmed as she shakily stepped onto their carriage. Her majesty was guided to her seat by her younger sister. _Her hands are so warm,_ was all she could think.

"Are you sure?" Elsa cupped Anna's jaw in her hands and pulled the ginger's lids into hers. "You liar. You're burning up." She turned her voice the driver, "Faster, please." The queen wrapped Anna in her cape and held her close to her heart.

Anna was laid on a bed of ice and snow. Her skin so hot, not even Elsa's magic could keep up.

"Send for Kristoff and Pabbie. It must be made clear this is urgent."

"Yes, ma'am." Kai bowed slightly and took his leave.

Anna's body sunk deep through the block of ice like a flame. Elsa struggled with the chill flowing through her and blasted her magic at a more desperate pace. When the princess's body beat out the queen and melted its way to the ground, she conceded. The ice surrounding Anna sat stubborn like a wall around her, its very core blaring up in a fearful shade of red.

"No," Elsa screamed at her own hands. The ceilings and floors rapidly lined with ice, turning Anna's room colder than the outdoors. All the surrounding ice slowly melted into a puddle deep enough to drown Anna. As much as Elsa wanted to hold Anna, she kept her distance.

"Elsa," Anna whispered weakly, "is that you?"

The hoarseness of her voice stabbed Elsa. "Yes. I'm right here."

"What's happening," the overheated princess asked before fainting again.

The blonde ran a panicking hand through her hair. "Something I never wanted to."

Back in her quarters, with Anna in able hands, Elsa hunched over her desk. The fact this old and worn piece of parchment remained in one piece was remarkable. Elsa stroked her family's portrait. Starting with her parents, then focusing heavily on Anna's hair and cheeks.

A knock echoed through her room. The queen snapped back into reality, scurried to her door's handle and promptly finding Kai on the other side. "Queen Elsa," he began, "your sister is awake."

"Thank goodness," she exhaled before sitting herself on the edge of Anna's bed.

Anna took the queen's chilled hand. "You shouldn't worry so much. I'm fine."

Elsa squeezed her younger sister's hand tighter. "That's what you said before, but experiencing a debilitating hot flash is not 'fine.'"

"Well, I mean it this time." The redhead smiled and pressed Elsa's hand to her beating heart. "See?"

"You scared me," the queen confessed in a whisper.

Anna hugged her sister's head tightly against her chest. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly her flesh flashed a heat wave throughout. Elsa felt the heat pulse against the cool touch of her right cheek and ear, and underneath the weight her palms. Without giving herself time to react, a surge of magic escaped Elsa's fingertips and froze over the skin of Anna's chest. But the ice was gone in a second, its only remnant being Anna's partially drenched dress.

The princess's grip around the queen faded into nothingness. Down with Anna's body Elsa fell, clinging to her beating heart. She wrapped herself around her younger sister's limp body, siphoning all the cold she could all over her skin, hoping somehow things would turn out differently. Hoping somehow her powers could help.

Anna, unconscious, and Elsa, stricken with slumber, stayed that way for the night.

Until morning came and a knock pounded heavily on the door. The both of them erected into the light of the moon and grumbled along the lines of a "come in."

The door creaked open as a tall, dark figure stood in its frame. Meanwhile, another came tumbling in like a snowball taking gravity's course.

"Kristoff?" Anna murmured.

"Pabbie," Elsa exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm so glad you're here."

The brisk blond knelt beside the bed. "Anna, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Elsa guided the troll from Anna's chambers. "Pabbie, please, can we talk?"

Shutting the door behind them, the queen immediately fell into a panic.

"Her powers, Pabbie. They're coming back, and I can't control them. She's already had two hot flashes and fires. That I'm aware of."

"You remember the first time you came to me for help?"

Elsa's face billboarded confusion. "Yes, for the most part."

"And you remember what I told your parents on how to control _your_ powers?"

Her face quivered in thought. Struggling to recall.

"Exactly." Pabbie smirked satisfactorily. "Anna's powers aren't yours to control. As you may have noticed, your ice isn't all that resilient to her."

"But-" Elsa interrupted him with scattered thoughts, "what do I do? Do I have to curse her again? Does she have to _forget_ again?"

"Elsa, my dear, you shouldn't let this frighten you. Anna can learn to control her magic just as easily as you did. You struggled with fear, she showed you love. So what does Anna struggle with, hm?"

She cracked a painful smile. "Eating too many sweets, getting out of bed in the morning-"

Pabbie laid a stone cold hand on Elsa's arm, smiling back, "Give me a minute with Anna, and I'll do what I can."

Elsa's features softened, "Thank you."

"Fine? Anna, Gerda said you fainted."

"I did- twice-" she interrupted herself with a nervous chuckle, "but I'm fine now, really, Kristoff. But thank you for coming all that way just to check up on me." Anna kissed his bangs.

"I would make Sven carry me to the ends of the earth for you, my princess." The smirk that tugged his face forced an adorable giggle past her blushing cheeks. "But, if I'm honest, I was already on my way back from the mountains."

Perhaps being on floor already made him say it, maybe it was the hand he already wrapped around a ring in his pocket did. Either way, or both, Kristoff took a deep breath, and

"Kristoff," Pabbie startled him with, "would you mind giving me a lift?"

"Uh- sure, yeah Pabbie, no problem," the blond stuttered as he lifted and grunted the troll onto Anna's bed.

Her curious blue eyes watched the troll outstretch his hand towards her face. Pabbie stretched and stretched, though stone didn't stretch. "Perhaps lying down would make this easier," he finally suggested, his arms having been pulled past their elasticity.

"No, Pabbie, really I'm-"

"Anna." Kristoff's voice was stern.

"Fine," she grumbled and plopped her head to a pillow.

Elsa couldn't help but watch from the doorway, barely peaking through. Her eyes reflected the stories Pabbie's visions brought to light. They took the shade of a cool blue, as did hers long ago, and Pabbie calmly explained what he gathered.

"Just as I thought. Your sister struggled with love and fear, and you, my dear Anna, are not fine. Not at all. I'm not trying to scare you…but you are facing a fatal inner war between commitment," he said near a whisper, "and denial."

"But that was only a problem for Elsa because she has powers. Why is this happening to me?"

"Denial and fear are everyone's problems," he jested, "but I think it'd be best if Elsa took it from here. All else I can say she already knows." And at that Pabbie rolled out with Kristoff close behind.

The blond released a long sigh and finally let the ring sink back into the crevice of his pocket. "Get some rest. From the sounds of things, you'll need it."

"Send Elsa in, Kristoff, please."

"All right," he smiled and shut the door.

Anna watched her bedside candle flicker until she fell deep into slumber. But Elsa never came.

She was too busy trembling and panicking as the fear of hurting Anna crept back in. Everything she touched froze over and reflected a red hue. Everything she thought only made the room colder. So much fear too much fear too much too much too much

Elsa formed an ice spike in the palm of her hand and lunged it at her wall. It landed and clung like a dart as the magic only spread from the crack. She tucked her hands under her arms and eventually curled her entire body in on her bed, shivering in fear. If she told Anna, she would lose her.

But if she didn't tell Anna, she would lose herself.

She was going to lose Anna regardless. But losing herself might not be so bad. It'd be easier to forget who she was, who she is. It'd be easier to run and hide up in her castle of seclusion, pretending her problems weren't there rather than facing them.

Rather than facing _her_.

She clung to her bedspread and wrapped herself tightly up in it, trying to choke the light out.

Then she smelled smoke. She heard a loud jumble of noises clamor down the hall made by the everything everyone trying to put out the fire. Elsa must have dozed off because the moon was barely setting and she was totally upside down on her bed.

The queen practically did a backwards summersault off the bed and ran through the puddles that remained of her episode. When she found Anna's room, she found the fire. It wasn't anything short of what she'd expected. It was exactly as she had envisioned it, actually.

Fire consumed the doors. No one could even touch the handles. Anna was trapped and scared and denying the fact this was her fault. She had nightmares before, but never had the princess woken up and questioned whether she was awake. Even in reality, she was still choking and dying by the hands of her own magic. She was still in denial of **absolutely everything**.

"Anna," Elsa called through the door. "Anna, I'm going to get you out." The queen hesitated with the door, her eyes flickering her hands faking themselves out. That is until her heel nearly pulled the door from its hinges along with a blast of ice and snow. Her magic dove into every corner of the room. Just as she did last night, Elsa lined the walls and floor with a layer of ice. She sought out every warm place and covered it with snow. She choked the light then opened Anna's windows to air out the room. Beginning to gag herself, the queen managed to drag Anna out.

Lying her younger sister in the hall, she checked for some sort of life.

"She's breathing." Elsa let out a couple coughs and turned to one of her servants. "Send for our doctor immediately." The queen held Anna close as she seemed to perpetually burn. "You're okay, Anna. You're safe now," was all she said until their family doctor arrived.

"It may take some time," their doctor told Elsa, "but Anna's going to be all right."

"That's it? That's all you have to say? She nearly died-" the queen spat.

"Your majesty, I'm sorry." He stopped her and raised a calming hand to her face. "This is not something I can diagnose. I suggest the standard rest and fluids. Perhaps keeping an extra pitcher of water by the bedside would help." He chuckled. But Elsa's glare waivered the doctor's small smile and forced his light clear of throat. "I wish your kingdom the best of health, my Queen." He bowed reverently before taking his leave.

Elsa just huffed. Slightly annoyed he took it so lightly. Entirely angered by the fact that he didn't offer an iota of help.

Meanwhile, she watched Anna through the door, toying with her sheets and refusing to fall asleep. Elsa knocked lightly on the door as she entered. "Come in," Anna said a beat too late.

The queen sat on the edge of Anna's bed. "The doctor said you needed to sleep."

"I don't wanna," Anna pouted.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes," Elsa breathed deep, now with Anna's full attention seeming to weigh her down, "because there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

The queen encased Anna's hands in hers, taking precautions where necessary. "What is it, Elsa? You seem- super serious." The girl surprised herself by smiling.

"I- It's about you, Anna. About all the accidents you've been having."

"What accidents-?"

"The fires, Anna. Just think, what were you feeling right before your sleeve caught on fire, before my hair did, before your room did? What did they have in common?"

Anna seemed to give it thought, but, "Nothing," she finally answered.

"Nothing?" Elsa said as if it were hard to believe.

"Yeah, I mean that last time I dreamt my room was on fire and I woke up and it actually was. I'm still not sure whether that was a dream, though. But why does it matter?"

"Anna-" the queen dropped her hands into her lap out of frustration.

"What is it? What's so hard that you're not telling me?"

"Anna you knew about my powers before my coronation!" The words visibly shook Elsa.

"Elsa." Anna's eyes welled with tears, and instantly her hands were encased on a block of ice. "Hey!"

Elsa hadn't realized what she did until Anna shoved the ice in Elsa's view, trying to force her to defrost it. "Anna, you can get out of that yourself."

"…What?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. All those fires? **You** made them. You have powers, too, Anna. I'm blonde and you're a redhead. I'm ice, and you're fire."

"This- this doesn't make any sense. I _can't_ have powers. I would have known by now."

"No, because remember that white streak you had in your hair? When you were younger, I accidentally cursed you while we were playing. Pabbie had to erase all your memories of magic or else you would've frozen. Including your own magic. Just think, Anna. How many memories never made sense to you? How many felt a little off?"

"Most of the ones with you in them, actually." Anna stared down at the rapidly melting ice block. "I guess that's what Pabbie meant," she mumbled to herself.

Elsa searched Anna's features. "What?"

"'A fatal inner war between commitment and denial.' Just like you had with fear and love." The redhead's eyes widened in fear. "I'm not going to almost melt your heart, am I?"

At this point Anna's hands were free and pressed over Elsa's heart. Her older sister soothingly took her younger's wrists and ran a thumb along Anna's palm. "No, not unless I start singing a song pushing you into something you're afraid to do."

"Heeeeeey." Anna squinted jokingly at her sister, "Cheap shot."

Both giggled until Elsa interrupted, "I can't believe you're not mad."

"Mad? Why would I be? I've always envied your powers. This is totally amazing!"

An idea tugged on Elsa. "Hey, you feeling all right?"

"Fine, yeah." Anna lied. "Why?"

"Let's head down to the gardens and experiment with your powers. From experience, _not_ using them is the worst option." Anna stayed silent for a moment too long, staring into her sister's eyes. She seemed to be looking for something in them. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

The redhead grinned wide. She smoothed it over in her singsong voice, "Do you want to build a snowman?"


	3. Amour Silencieux

With a wave of her hand, Elsa created a tall block of ice between them. "All right, now try melting that."

Anna alternatively gave her hands and the block a bewildering stare. "…How?"

"Commit," Elsa finally said after a long pause and a small smile.

The Fire Princess re-centered her focus and took a deep breath, now staring down the block with determination. She repeated what her older sister said under her breath until she quietly broke into song.

Meanwhile, right outside the open gates, Kristoff sings to the same tune.

**Both:**_  
It's got to be today  
I'm in my readied stance  
I don't need a new day  
I don't need a second chance_

**Anna:  
**_I can do it  
I'll get through it_

**Kristoff:  
**_I can do it  
I'll get through it_

Kristoff glared down at the ring in his hand, holding fiercely onto his look as he stepped across the courtyard's threshold.

Anna held a staring contest with the block, her hands extended towards it and her face frozen in something near constipation.

**Both:**_  
With a little bit of love  
And a lot bit of persistence  
I am capable of  
Just enough commitment_

**Kristoff:  
**_To make you see  
The way I see it_

**Anna:  
**_To fire breathe  
To unfreeze it_

**Both:**_  
All that's left to do is commit_

_I know it's in me  
I just have to dig deep  
I can be who I need  
Cause who said I needed sleep_

**Anna:  
**_I can do it  
I'll get through it_

**Kristoff:  
**_I can do it  
I'll get through it_

**Both:**_  
With a little bit of love  
And a lot bit of persistence  
I am capable of  
Just enough commitment_

**Kristoff:  
**_To make her my  
Bride to be_

**Anna:  
**_To calm the storm  
Right inside of me_

By now Kristoff had checked every inch of the castle, and found no sign of Anna. _Maybe_, he thought, _I can't find her for a __**reason**_.

Anna dropped her hands to her sides, breathing heavily in an equivocal defeat. _Maybe I'm just not good enough_.

**Both:**_  
On second thought  
Commitment  
Is way exaggerated_

_It's no use  
I'm trying to do  
Something overrated_

**Kristoff:  
**_I'm trying to be someone  
I know I'm not_

**Anna:  
**_I trying to gain something  
I wish could be bought_

**Both:**_  
I wish all I had to do is commit_

"Is something wrong?"

"Only that I can't do it."

"Oh Anna, please-"

"Elsa," the girl held a stern hand in front of her queen's face, "don't. I don't need your patronizations. I'm no good at this, but that's okay. I don't have to be."

The blonde held her tongue, coming up with the perfect response after a long while of watching Anna catch her breath. "Pabbie said you had to commit."

"I'm aware," Anna growled.

"Did he say what you had to commit to?"

"Anna!" Kristoff called in the distance.

The princess's mind stirred. "…No."

"Anna," the blond gasped for breath, "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Anna grabbed his arms. "Why? What's wrong?"

Kristoff watched her until cracking a smile. "Nothing. Everything's great." He took a deep, slow breath. "There's just something I've been meaning to ask you."

The second he dug his hand into his pocket, the queen chirped, "I should get back to work," and was gone in a scurry.

The couple refocused back to one another, Anna eyes searching Kristoff's face and flickering down to his hands and his hands were suddenly at eye level. Kristoff was on one knee.

"Kristoff," Anna gasped.

He smiled big at the look on her face. "I know it's only been a few months, but this feels too right." The blond her up the ring in front of his face. "Anna." It shimmered a beautiful pink hue and lit up Anna's face beyond the sunset. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh my gosh," the princess held her hand before her mouth. "Yes!" She tried not to cry. She really did. As Kristoff stood and slipped the ring on her finger, Anna mumbled, "how's that for committing?" under her breath.

"Did you…" he furrowed his brows, "say something?"

"Me-?" she stuttered, "No n- nothing- oh-!"

Kristoff caught his fiancé before she slipped. _A fresh trail of ice,_ he subliminally asked the ground. _We haven't had the right weather for that._

But Anna knew, and in turn her tears shared their joy with the haunting loom of grief.

_Elsa._

The trail chased the queen all the way back to her quarters, and so did Anna. Every bit of ice melted away along with Anna's every step. "Elsa?" Anna called out, though unaware as to why. She knew exactly where to find her older sister.

The redhead knocked with one finger on their library door. "Come in," the queen immediately replied. Anna crept in cautiously to find her older sister in a large cushioned chair with its back to her. Before she could even inhale to speak, Elsa continued. She sounded excited, even. "Did you say yes?"

Anna hesitated, "Of course."

"So, when's the wedding?"

"We- didn't decide yet."

"Well, when you do, be sure to come to me and we can make prepa**_ra_**tions." Despite the queen's efforts, her voice cracked. _Damn_, she thought.

Anna urgently crept up to her sister's chair and poked her head over the back, catching the queen jam her book shut. "Whatcha reading?" was all she could think to say. _Her book is upside down, _was all she could think.

Elsa checked its cover, "U- um," she stalled, "Amour Silencieux."

"Aaaaare you- okay?" Anna hesitated to ask. Elsa was subtly trembling.

But she was also stubborn. "Yes, fine, Anna, thank you. Now please leave me alone for a while. I'm in the middle of the climax of- A- Amour Silencieux."

Anna threw her hands into a surrender. "My sincerest apologies," over dramatically bowing, "Your Majesty." And she was gone.

Elsa opened the book she was pretending to read and finally realized it had been upside down. "Stellar performance, _Your Majesty_," the queen muttered to herself. The book's pages began to freeze over, and she just let them. A tear damped page 203 before being frozen into the mix.

"Soooo, did she say yes?" Kristoff nudged Anna repeatedly with his elbow as they descended the palace's tedious spiraling staircases.

"Yes…?" He gave her a dissatisfied look. "Yes! Yes. Oh, yes."

"You have no idea what I'm talking about."

Anna pouted. "…No."

"What did she think of your ring?"

"My ring?"

"Did you even ask for her blessing?"

"No."

"What did you even talk about in there?" His voice strained.

"She didn't ask to see my ring," Anna quibbled, "and she was reading her book upside down, and her voice cracked, and she knew right away that you had proposed, but _she_ was the one who didn't bother blessing your-"

"My…?"

"**_Our_** marriage," the redhead refined.

"…Anna?" She gave Kristoff a small hum in recognition. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, but…Elsa…" the blonde's fiancé fell into his arms, nearly forcing them down a few more stairs at a time than planned.

"Whoa!" Kristoff struggled to scoop her up. "Anna?"

"I'm fine," she grumbled, "really, Christopher."

_Kristoff,_ his brain hissed, but his lips were too preoccupied with, "Kai, Gerda!" and his feet were tripping their way down the rest of the stairs. "Anna needs help." Once at the bottom, Gerda placed her hand firm on the strawberry blonde's forehead, but retracted it with a first degree burn.

"Oh my goodness, she's literally burning up," the woman exclaimed.

"Gerda, you need to treat that; I'll bring her back to her quarters."

"But what about-" the blond began.

"Fetch the Queen." Kai's voice was laden with intent, and his eyes were hued with fear. "Princess, can you hear me?"

"Kristoff," Anna squealed, "please, don't bother." The princess squirmed until Kai let her down. She nearly fell, but Kai held her arm and supported shaky legs. "Elsa—don't bother her. She's busy, and I'm-"

"No," Kristoff growled, "you're not." The blond resumed his ascent at a faster pace, leaving his fiancé speechless.

Kai escorted the struggling Anna up a few dozen steps, which by then Elsa had caught sight of them. "Anna," she called as she nearly stumbled down the stairs due to her reckless speed.

Elsa reached out to comfort her sister. "I do not advise it, my queen," Kai warned.

"Advise what?"

"Her skin burns. Literally. You mustn't touch it."

"It was just a hot flash," Anna refuted.

"Shut up, Anna. That was just a hot flash like your hair was just turning white." The princess's jaw dropped at the stabbing reality of Kristoff's words.

"My powers won't do her any good. Ice is the worst thing for burns. If her skin is burning as you say, you must run a cold bath. We need to keep her temperature down before she bursts into flames."

"I- I- is that even possible?" the blond stuttered.

Elsa's heavy gaze met Kristoff's. "Let's hope not."

Kai handed the princess off to her sister and fiancé as he scurried up the staircase ahead of them.

Four minutes later, the trio made it to the top of the steps.

Six minutes later, the bathroom door.

"The tub is filling, your majesty. I can handle things from here. You, however-"

"Actually, Kai," the queen looked up from Anna to Kristoff and finally over at Kai with guilt, "cancel my week."

"Your- _week_?" Kristoff inserted.

"But, Queen Elsa, the Spanish Dignitaries-"

"Will have to reschedule. I'm sorry, Kai, but you can't even touch her without getting burned. No one can. My powers will protect me; therefore, I must see to this myself." Elsa guided her sister through the bathroom's threshold. "Give the Prime Minister my best." Shutting the door behind her, she added, "A- and apologize…profusely."

"Yes ma'am." Kai habitually bowed to the door and began descending their staircase.

Kristoff, still stuck in the mix, spoke through the door. "Are you sure, Elsa? I don't want your kingdom to suffer over a few burns. If I'm going to marry Anna, I want to be-" the blond stopped himself with the sound of something hitting the floor.

"I'm okay," Elsa promptly assured.

"If I'm going to marry Anna, I want to be able to take care of her. Who knows? Someday we may decide to leave the castle, and you won't be around to-"

"Ow, Elsa!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry. I just- slipped on my own ice." Her nervous chuckling died down before she replied, "I appreciate the offer, Kristoff, and I understand. But this time I'm going to have to decline. This is an abnormal occurrence, and besides, since you are potentially sweeping my sister off her feet and out of the kingdom…"

"I understand."

The jealous blond separated himself from the door and made his way to the dining hall. Delicacies awaited, he knew. Delicacies he'll be too worried to eat, he regretfully realized.

The tub had almost finished filling at the point the two sisters were finally left alone. "Do you need help getting undressed," Elsa maternally asked.

Anna blushed ferociously, "No, no, I'm- I- I can do it." She smiled cutely as Elsa gave her an unconvinced look and turned around.

The redhead struggled weakly to pull her sleeves from her sticky, sweat laden skin. Meanwhile, she took the time to admire her sister's new hairstyle. Then she admired her bare, smooth shoulders, her perfect physique, her tight ice dress. Most of all she stared up Elsa's hairline and newly revealed neck. For the longest time, the two hid behind Elsa's braid, but now they were perfectly on display and staring Anna down almost as intensely she reciprocated. This moment, it was nice. It wasn't often Elsa stood still anymore, being Queen and all.

Being the beautiful, powerful, constantly-getting-proposed-to Queen…

"Elsa!" Anna belted in a crescendo fashion. Her dress had burst into flames, and her skin was being subjected to the fire.

The beautiful, powerful, constantly-getting-proposed-to Queen whipped around and practically ripped the dress off Anna's body. She dropped it to the floor and blasted it savagely with her magic until it extinguished.

Anna had fallen into a trance watching her sister be beautiful and powerful and overall propose-worthy material. But Elsa's quick glance and immediate blush and turn made her realize her torso was completely bare. Anna's arms thrust themselves over her breasts in total, steaming embarrassment.

"I- I'm sorry," the queen stuttered.

"…No!" Anna snapped back into reality. "No, it's fine," she squealed. "Really, that was my fault anyways." The strawberry blonde pulled one arm from her chest and turned the water flow off. "Although," she smiled, "I do feel a bit better now after letting some out."

"What do you mean? Are you constipated with fire?" The queen giggled.

The princess reached for the bubbles and basically just threw the bath ball into the water rather than being any form of sophisticated. "To put it in the _best_ terms possible, yes." Anna joined Elsa in her immature giggles.

The redhead finally graced one toe into the water, and unreservedly force her entire leg in. And then the other. "Oh wow that feels great." Anna dropped her entire body up to her shoulders below water level and soaked her burning skin in the frigid tub.

Elsa turned back around, having gotten her blushing under control, and with a flick of her hand created chunks of ice out of the bath water—chunks along the lines of large, jagged ice cubes. "Better?"

Anna used her entire breath to answer "yes."

The queen swiped a brush from their sink, and pulled a chair from the corner to the edge of the tub right behind her sister. "Good," Elsa nestled herself comfortably into her seat, "but you forgot to brush your hair out first."

"Oops," Anna said innocently.

Elsa didn't mind, though. Now that her hair was easily kept, she had nothing to brush anymore. No knots to wrangle with in the morning or after a bath. She rightfully missed the relaxation that came with running a brush's bristles through her long, platinum locks. The joy of getting to unwind Anna's braids and smooth out her knots instead was hardly containable. A smile managed to creep onto her face, at the very least.

After a few moments of silence and two-thirds of Anna's hair being slowly brushed out, the princess spoke. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. I like brushing your hair."

"No," Anna corrected, "I mean thank you for blowing off Spain for me. And everything—_and everyone_—else."

"Not a problem," Elsa chuckled, "I like blowing off Spain for you."

Anna snorted which made Elsa laugh harder and inevitably Anna joining. The queen paused brushing for a moment as they laugh their hearts out. But all the commotion only sped the ice chunks' melting. "Oh, Elsa…"

"I've got it." With another flick of her hand, another dozen chunks of water froze over and instantly brought the tub's temperature back down.

Anna paused. It was a long, painful pause before she found the courage to speak. "Elsa?"

"Hm?"

"…Am I going to be all right?"

The strain in her younger sister's voice stabbed at Elsa's heart. She finished brushing out the rest of Anna's hair before collecting herself and even attempting to conjure a reply. "Yes, you'll be fine."

The younger girl sniffled. "But how do you know?"

"I don't, but if I'm wrong, you won't be able to say 'I told you so.'"

"No, I'm serious!" Anna's voice broke. "I'm scared…I- I don't want to die. I want to live in the castle and know you and Kristoff. I want to have a family and get married. I- I can't die."

"Well," Elsa ran her hands through Anna's freshly brushed hair, "I won't let you. You're going to live in the castle and get married and have a family."

"You don't know that," Anna argued.

Elsa, speechless, stepped cautiously into the tub, finding the water cold and crisp—just the way she liked it. She strategically melted away her dress as her skin sunk below the bubbles. Reaching out for Anna, she took her hand and sat down at a 90 degree angle from her. They sat there silently for a time until Anna threw her sobbing self into Elsa's arms and created steam from their starkly contrasting skin temperatures. Elsa was cold as ice, Anna was hot as fire. The two relished the feeling of the other's touch. It just made sense.

"Don't listen to Kristoff," Anna began as she let go and sat close beside her sister, "he can, but I'm never leaving. I could never call any other place home. Not without you."

Elsa began crying, but immediately froze her tears, embarrassed they even escaped her eyes.

"Elsie?"

Elsie scraped away the stream of ice from her cheeks, "Yeah?"

Anna rested her head on her older sister's shoulder. "I love you."

_I love you too, Anna, _Elsa told her tongue over and over. But, as always, her tongue never bothered saying anything Elsa thought.

The redhead fell asleep on Elsa shortly after. Not long after that, the steam died down. Elsa had fallen asleep alongside her sister in what seemed like an instant, and stayed like that for a couple hours until a knock shyly echoed through the bathroom. "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm leaving your dinner right outside your door."

Anna, who had seemingly been awake for at least a little while, cracked open the door with just a towel wrapped around her. "Thanks, Gerda." She smiled big. "Ooo, my favorite!"

"Mr. Andersen thought you might like it after the week you've been having."

"I love it," the redhead promptly replied. "Be sure you tell him thank you very much: from Anna."

"Yes, ma'am." Gerda curtsied to the princess. "Have a good evening."

Anna watched Gerda take her leave before dragging the food cart in one-handed and greeting a freshly awoken sister, "Good morning, Elsa."

The queen yawned through her sentence. "It's not morning," she refuted groggily before taking her plate from Anna and sitting in her tub-side chair. "How long have you been awake?"

"Oh, not long. I just woke up 'cause I was starting to get cold. A few minutes at best." Anna poked the air with her fork, "Now eat, Elsa. Before it's cold."

The blonde smiled before she endeavored into Anna's favorite meal, smiling softly back at her younger's sisters delight with every bite.


	4. Dreaming

Anna's on and off sleep patterns for the next few days forced her memories to blur all into one. She was unsure what happened when, or if it ever happened at all.

"You reading to Amour Silencieux aloud."

The blonde blushed and brought a hand to her mouth. "Dream."

"A puppet show?"

"Dream."

"We bathed together."

"Happened."

"Wow, really? I expected _that_ one to be the dream." The princess's heavy eyes scrunched up above her smile. Elsa was keeping the room a winter wonderland. The walls were lined with ice, the floors laden with snow, and the cutest bits of details could be found every here and every there among the ceilings Anna stared up at. "You made teeny ice sculptures of us and our friends," she finally said.

"Happened."

The princess gasped joyously, "We ice skated."

"No, dream."

"Oh, can we, Elsa?"

The queen rubbed her temples. "Anna, you can hardly move."

The redhead squirmed to prove her sister wrong. "You- just-" she toiled fruitlessly for a long while, "never mind. I can't move." Elsa giggled at the worm-like girl. "Too-" Anna yawned, "tired."

"Would you like to sleep again? I can leave."

"No, no," she faintly outstretched her arm towards the older woman, "stay. I'm fine." Anna closed her eyes, drifting back into her "fine-ness" until she jolted herself awake and lazily shouted, "Snowflake scar."

"The one on your chest?" Anna nodded small. "That's real." _And unbearably adorable._

"Cooool," she exclaimed groggily, "thanks, Elsie. I have a cute scar now." Anna squinted at her sister and lifted her hand closer to Elsa's exposed collarbone. "Maybe I could make a leetle fire thingy on yours."

The woman grabbed her delusional sister's wrist in subtle fright. "That- that won't be necessary. But thanks for the offer, Anna."

"But it'll be coooool," she argued. "No wait," the girl giggled curiously, "it'll be hooooot. 'Cause- 'cause I'm on fiyaaah."

The queen resumed giggling as Anna waved her hand around in small rotations as an act of play. The strawberry blonde watched her sister's face until it settled back into a small smile, and then a sort of puzzled stare back at the one who was groggily gazing. "…this?"

Elsa set her sister's hand back onto the bed. "Happen_ing_."

"That's what someone from a dream would _want_ me to think," Anna murmured suspiciously. "Juggle something."

The queen burst into a short-lived laughing spell. "I can't juggle, Anna."

"All right. Good. That means you're not a dream." Anna snapped herself further into reality. "Well, I mean this- and _you_- are a dream come true but you're not a dream, and I'm not-"

"Anna, calm down. I knew what you meant."

The princess heaved a long sigh. "All right. Good." She focused back onto the cute little designs engraved into the icy ceiling above her as she slowly spun her ring around her finger. The princess gasped lightly, "I'm engaged?"

_Dream. Dream. Dream. Dream. _"Happened," Elsa said with a forced smile.

"Ooooo…to who?"

_Not Kristoff. Not Kristoff. Not Kristoff. Not Kristoff. _"Kristoff." Anna, drifting rapidly back to sleep, thankfully didn't notice Elsa's tone when she grumbled it.

"That's weird. I don't…remember…asking for your…blessing." Elsa's hand ran through Anna's hair as she fell into a deep slumber.

The queen watched her sister's breaths deepen, cherishing the smile that lingered on her face for a good long while. Anna's final words repeated in the blonde's head. Suddenly, Elsa stood, filled with an uncontainable, almost inexplicable rage, and burst into song.

_Because you never did  
Because you never asked  
How it makes me feel  
When you kiss that outcast_

_Of course he loves you, Anna  
You're rich, pretty and smart  
Yet you're too dumb to see  
What the toll is on my heart_

_I can't keep you here anymore  
The gates can't stop you  
You're free  
How much longer could I ask for  
Thirteen years you knocked  
For me_

_I've loved you like a sister  
I've loved you like a friend  
But I love you more than either or  
And now's no time pretend_

_So yes, this is happening  
But we're on separate teams  
You ask me for my blessing  
And I'll say, "In your dreams"_

Elsa found her bluster and stomped right out, mercilessly tearing the door from its frame. On the other side, she was faced with Kristoff's fist, sheepishly pondering to make contact with the wood of Anna's door. Supposedly, that choice had just been made for it.

Without a word exchanged, Kristoff crudely lowered his hand from in front of the queen's face as she subtly flinched. Elsa tried to sniffle going unnoticed, but the blond caught on quick. "Q- Queen Elsa," he stuttered as he stepped out of her way, "please, excuse me."

"Certainly," she said with a slight bow of her head. Suspecting Kristoff's motives, she took off with a fast walk down the hall, forgetting to shut Anna's door behind her.

"Actually, Elsa-" the queen cringed at the words, unnervingly able to hear that apprehensive look on his face, "did Anna ask for your blessing…yet?"

"Yes," Elsa said through her teeth. "She did."

The ice man took a reasonable pause before following up with, "And what did you say?"

_No._

"You have my blessing."

Kristoff's face burned with a smile. "Thank you!" he said as if she were four times further from him than she actually was.

"What can I say? You're her only fiancé that hasn't tried taking over my kingdom," Elsa's attempts at humor being the only difference between a blond ice man down the hall and a block of ice that resembles one.

Kristoff, unsure whether to laugh or feel threatened, decided to trail into another topic. "Is Anna asleep?"

"Yes, she just fell back to sleep. Did you need something?"

"No, no, I was just wondering how she was doing."

"She's fine." Elsa ironically choked out.

Kristoff snorted, "I suppose that's a direct message?"

Elsa felt she was going to implode or her stomach would digest itself or perhaps her throat would collapse in on itself and she'd asphyxiate. She forced a smile for Anna's sake and excused herself promptly.

"Actually, Queen Elsa…"

_Dammit shut up shut up shut up leave me alone just leave the castle the city leave the continent for god's sake and never come back_

"I'm going to be away for a little while. Olaf's been visiting Marshmallow up in the ice palace for almost a week now. I'm sure he's ready to come home."

_I must be telepathic. _"Yes, of course, Olaf…"

Kristoff sensed that Elsa's attention was waning, so he quickly continued regardless of her spacey staring all around. "…Which means I won't be able to stay and help take care of Anna. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Yes, yes, of course. I always have Kai and Gerda if ever I need a hand."

"Good," the blond remarked, sounding like he had finally finished. With that cue, Elsa sheepishly turned around and began making her way off. "Oh- and when I get back, I was hoping the three of us could work on wedding plans…?"

And though Elsa never did reply, Kristoff took it upon himself to assume yet another "yes, of course" should apply. But oh, was he terribly, terribly wrong.


End file.
